Gas turbine engines include a number of bearing compartments, which include bearing assemblies and seals. During operation of the engine, non-rotating seal faces contact rotating seal plates to maintain compartment pressures and keep lubricating oil inside the compartment. Friction between the sliding surfaces generates heat and exposes the seals to relatively high temperatures.
In the past, carbon materials have been used to increase seal wear life. In other assemblies, such as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0078079, a seal plate is cooled with a flow of cooling fluid, which increases heat transfer away from the seal and reduces seal operating temperature.